By Zachary Waltz
Staff Writer
The lacrosse team defeated Delaware State (0-5) last Sunday by a margin of 19-0, and lost to rival Niagara (2-5) by a score of 9-7 on Tuesday. The split puts the Bonnies at 3-1 on the season.
The Bonnies’ next game is against the Siena Saints (1-5) tomorrow at Corning High School. They play the Colgate Raiders (3-3) Wednesday. Head Coach Ryan Lynn said he plans to use these games as a way to get bench players some playing time to prepare for the long season.
“It will be nice to get up and get out a little bit to get some of the relief players in and give them a chance to have some real experience in a live college game,” Lynn said. “That way we will have everybody ready to go at any point in time we need them down the road.”
The team recorded its first ever shutout in the program’s 13-year history in the win against Delaware State. Junior midfielder Cara Callahan led the team with five goals, while also notching an assist. The Bonnies’ scored 15 goals in the first half with only four coming in the second. Junior goalie Karly Kocis maintained the shutout in the first half with two saves, earning her the win. Junior Sara Schlagenhauf came in the second half and recorded one save.
Lynn said the game was a total team effort to stay composed and execute.
“I think the number-one thing we learned in that game as a team was composure,” Lynn said. “It was extremely nice to get the shutout and be in the record books, but it was a team that we knew going into it was not going to be one of the strongest we will face. We knew that we were going to have to mentally keep ourselves on par with what we wanted to do.”
The team’s leading scorer, sophomore attacker Jenna Schlagenhauf, tossed in three goals and led the team with four assists on the day. Schlagenhauf has 14 goals and five assists on the season. Lynn said she is the main offensive leader on the team due to her hard work and diligence.
“She took her hard-work attitude into the summer and came back ready to play,” Lynn said. “She is currently our offensive team leader and we look to run a lot of things through her. When we get down to those key moments, she has really started to grow and handle the pressure we put on her.”
The team’s game against Niagara ended in the Purple Eagles scoring three goals in the last minute to secure the win. Junior midfielder Elspeth McGarry and freshman midfielder Carrie Kubasta led the team with one assist each. Lynn said the game came down to the Bonnies’ lack of execution on defense.
“We got ahead with about a minute to go and started to celebrate a little too early,” Lynn said. “The defense lost a little bit of composure and let up three goals in a minute.”
Freshman attacker Mikayla Place had two goals and five assists in two games, earning her the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week award. Place currently leads the team with six assists on the year.
Lynn said Place has been earning her spot on the field through her play.
“I always say to the freshmen that once they get in the game, they need to prove to me that I can’t take them out of the game,” Lynn said. “Mikayla certainly did that for us against Delaware State, and she was able to open up our offense.”
